It was only a dream
by sofiislosthere
Summary: Rin finds himself in an interesting but unusual situation with his lovely roommate that makes him take a new look at their relationship. Will everything still be the same or will it all change? What does he even want? Bad summary, but please give it a chance.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately I do not own Free! or any of the characters mentioned.

Also, rated T for now, but may change in the following chapters.

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The room was dark and warm. Rin was hot and he could feel his cheeks warming up even more because of the blush that spread furiously across his face. Looking in front of him, or rather looking up, he could see a certain silver haired boy sitting on his lap. Seeing the boy and the glazed look he had on his eyes, Rin stiffened, his breath caught in his throat. He didn't understand what kind of situation this was, and even less what was this tightening feeling in his chest, but he wasn't going to start questioning it right now.

He opened his mouth to get the attention of the boy straddling him, but nothing came out. This must have sparked the other male's attention and triggered something within him since he slowly got closer to the redhead, staring at his gaping mouth.

Looking at the pleading and yet innocent look in Nitori's eyes as he placed his forehead on his, Rin started to feel the increasingly alarming rhythm of his heart. It seemed as if his heart wanted to fly out of his mouth, led by the thousand butterflies that raced in his stomach.

He didn't know what to do. He wanted to ask Nitori what was the meaning of this, but as he saw his face only inches away from his own, he unconsciously let his eyes close shut, expecting the crouching boy to finally put him out of this misery and kiss him.

Instead, Rin could feel the light touch of delicate fingers across is bare chest, going to his sides and to his collarbone where they finally rested. The redhead could feel the electricity of the touch course through his entire body, sending shivers through his spine and pants to his lips. He stared in awe at the beauty that emanated out of the young boy, the innocence in his face never leaving him, even as the moment got far away from just innocent touching.

Rin felt his head fuzzy from all the sensations Nitori was sending by his mere presence on his lap. One would have thought that with Rin's personality, he wouldn't have been the one to be subdued by such situation, but everything had taken him by surprise to such a degree that all he could do was to accept everything that came to him.

Matsuoka's mind was racing with troubled thoughts, wondering how all this would affect them in the end, but right now he needed to shove down everything that wasn't his will to finally kiss Nitori. He didn't even knew he wanted it so bad until it was literally placed on his lap in front of him, but it's better late than never right?

A small plea came out, soft as a whisper, but still powerful enough to make his kouhai shiver.

Aiichirou lowered himself, tangling his lean fingers with Rin's and taking their hands over Rin's head. His raced breath grazed Rin's face in small puffs of hot air that felt absolutely intoxicating. He was so close but yet so far. Rin parted his lips, having enough of this excruciating torture led by his devilish roommate.

Nitori finally gave up and closed his eyes, getting even closer to his senpai's face, bodies mingling as if wanting to become one.

Just as Rin finally felt a tingling sensation over his lips, a loud sound started blaring right next to his ear.

Startled, he looked for the noise as he cursed it for interrupting a very crucial moment in his life. When he finally found the source of the dreadful sound, he opened his eyes and looked around. Confused, Rin stared at his dimly lit bedroom, cellphone in hand. He sat up, looking intently at his lap that lacked the presence of a certain someone.

It took Rin a whole minute to fully comprehend that it had all been nothing but a dream (a very strange and sexy dream if he had to admit). He looked up at the bunk right above him while he pressed his fingers to his lips, still feeling the lingering sensation on them.

"What the hell was that?"

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**A.N:** I hope this wasn't so bad. It has been on my head for a while. Anyway, thank you for reading and hopefully I won't disappoint you in the future chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I do not own Free! nor any of their adorable characters.

Thank you for reading!

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Nitori was in the bathroom, getting himself in a new pair of pants while brushing his teeth when he heard it. A loud BANG came from the bedroom, quickly followed by low cursing.

Curiosity and concern dwelled upon Nitori, so he poked his head into the room, looking for some answers.

Sitting before him was a very angry Rin, mumbling curses under his breath all the while rubbing his reddened forehead. I wasn't hard for Nitori to understand that somehow his senpai had managed to get tangled in his sheets and banged his head against the bunk's stairs.

Aiichiro giggled softly, coming into the room to offer some comfort to his senpai.

"Are you okay Matsuoka senpai?" he smiled at the redhead.

This obviously took the older by surprise, quickly lifting his head towards the voice and tangling himself even more in his bed sheets.

"Ni –Nitori! Urgh-.."

Rin wasn't able to finish his sentence since he was now lying on the floor, which he hit head first, with his sheets still intertwined on his legs.

"Urgh.. DON'T SURPRISE ME LIKE THAT JEEZ!"

"Sorry" answered a very amused Nitori.  
"Matsuoka senpai… What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I was trying to get up and get ready but this death trap decided that this would be a better option" he growled while tossing the fabric away from him with a little more force than necessary.

"Here, let me help you senpai" said Nitori, offering his hand to the other boy.

Now that all of his rage was gone, Rin remembered the embarrassing situation his kouhai had just witnessed. Finally realizing this, Rin's face decided to do that thing where it matched his hair color just it could contribute to the agony that was his morning.

Finally daring to look at him, Rin glanced at the boy. He still hadn't put his shirt on, his pants were undone and he probably had just washed his face since little droplets of water rolled down his neck and naked chest. This may or may have not sent sparks to Rin's body.

Looking at the figure above him, and he did stare quite a bit, Rin was quickly reminded of a certain dream and instantly lost his composure.

With feelings of lust and confusion taking over him, Rin shook his head wildly, refusing the hand offered to him, and started scrambling all over the floor while still managing to hit his head one last time on his way to the bathroom.

Rin flew away to safety and locked the door, leaving a very confused Nitori with his hand still in the air.

Leaning on the zinc, Rin hung his head before looking himself in the mirror, the hints of his blush still hanging on his cheeks.

"What am I doing?"

He had embarrassed himself in front of Nitori and run away, which wasn't exactly how he had wanted to start his day. He wondered what Nitori was thinking. What if he thought that he had finally lost his last screw, or what if he was angry for being rejected? Or worse, what if he was _sad_?

Rin could not take that, and he wouldn't. The mere thought made his stomach turn and his chest ache.

Touching his chest, he could feel the uneven beating of his heart and wondered why he was so aware of Nitori's presence now of all times. Or had that always been the case and he just never noticed?

He was washing his face, still deep in thought when he heard a low knock on the door.

"Matsuoka senpai, you're gonna be late."

The awkward thumping in his chest grew stronger once again and before he could stop himself, he answered. "Don't wait for me! I can get to class by myself!"

He heard a faint gasp and then nothing but silence_._

_ Damn it_.

I mean, here he was, trapped in a bathroom, trying to figure out a way to get back on good terms with the kid, and _now_ he decided to yell at him? Even after he had had the heart to warn him not to be late?

_What is wrong with me?_

He heard the door close up with a slight click and he sighed. Maybe for the time being it was best to avoid Nitori. For Nitori's good and his own. He didn't mean to say that or to act like that, but he just couldn't control himself.

Something had changed within him since he awoke, but he didn't know what nor how to manage it. He had a vague idea of what it could be, but his pride was nowhere near to accept that answer.

So he grabbed his things and walked out the door telling himself that this had nothing to do with the fluttery feeling in his stomach. No. Nothing at all.

By the end of the day, Rin was exhausted. He had somehow magically transformed into a cartoon character, bumping into everything and falling over and over again.

He had scrapes all over, which were now covered in Hello Kitty bandages thanks to some of the girls in his class, but he was too tired to do something about it. Even if he had turned into a complete klutz, people still feared him, so the band-aids wouldn't be such a big deal.

It was finally the end of the day, his lessons forgotten as soon as the bell had rung and Rin could only think of one thing. He was in desperate need to get back to his bed and forget about his day, and he was on his way to do just about that when it hit him.

Practice.

How could he have forgotten the one and most important thing in his life?

He had swimming practice in half an hour, and that meant that he was going to see Nitori. His plan had failed and there was no escaping it.

Starting to get nervous, Rin decided to get some tea to calm himself down. So he turned around and walked in the opposite direction. He was getting strange looks, but then again, he was wearing at least 6 Hello kitties on his face. When he was finally getting over the vending machine, he noticed them.

It was captain Mikoshiba with no other than Nitori by his side. He quickly hid himself between the vending machine and the wall, listening to their conversation (not that he was interested in it, not at all).

"You really are amazing Mikoshiba senpai! I never thought you had such talents!"

"Oh, well I am a natural after all." He said with a cheeky smile on his face.

_What?_

"You were surprisingly good too. But don't worry, I won't share my talent with anyone but you."

Rin was sure he saw Mikoshiba wink at Nitori, who then immediately turned three shades redder.

"Really senpai? I'm so happy! Though it is all because of your helping hand."

_WHAT_

"And if it isn't much trouble, could senpai help me some more?"

"Well, aren't you a little devil? You know that I can't say no to those puppy eyes of yours."

Nitori beamed and hugged Mikoshiba very tightly.

"I will take your word then. Should we meet again tomorrow, at the same time?"

"Sure thing kid!"

Rin watched them walk past him, his mouth agape, and when he finally regained his senses, they were long gone.

Rin's head was ringing and his body was trembling. He needed to talk to Nitori and get some answers. He wasn't sure why he was getting so worked up over nothing, but somehow it didn't feel right, at least not to him.

_What were they doing? Were they doing _that_ kind of thing? Is that what they meant? Were they together? Was he really even that good? Pfft, doubtful. Wait, what am I thinking?_

Rin shook his head once again, not bothering to get his drink anymore. All of his thirst as well as his nervousness were gone, and now some strange sensation in his chest had taken over. He definitely wasn't feeling insecure, and he was most definitely not jealous. Not at all. I mean, why would he? He was just… concerned for his kouhai. Yes, that was definitely it. He was concerned.

If he had an unnerving need to punch Mikoshiba in the groin, it was surely for some other completely unrelated reason.

Completely driven by his _concern_, Rin started walking towards the pool.

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**A/N: **I want to give a special thank you to dacymarie and Bloody rose 16 for your reviews, they are deeply appreciated. I hope I didn't dissapoint you with this chapter!

Also sorry if I didn't make myself clearer before, but the loud noise in the first chapter was Rin's alarm, and not a scream.

Anyway, thank you for reading, and hopefully I'll see you soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, neither Free! nor any of its characters belong to me!

Thank you for reading and reviewing! It makes me happy to share the cheesy stories in my head with you.

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The doors leading to the academy's swimming pool bounced and clacked as the redhead burst into the room.

The sound startled the rest of the swim team already inside. They all fell silent as they watched with curious eyes at the boy standing at the entry, panting heavily.

He glared at them, his own way to tell them to mind their own business, as he took a seat leaning against the cold tile wall.

From there, he decided, he would do some proper research. He would look intently at any signs that confirmed his theory of the secret affair going on between the captain and Nitori.

He was doing this out of concern, he repeated himself. Like when that sketchy guy tried to make a pass on Gou. He wouldn't accept that. He was here to defend Nitori's honor, or something like that.

He was still debating his reasons, when they entered the room. There they were, chatting gleefully without a care in the world.

Rin could have sworn, that if this was some shoujo manga, little specks of light would be flying around them. He grunted at the thought, and with a light "tsk" he mumbled under his breath "shounen-ai maybe".

Was this normal behavior? Was he overreacting? He never really had any close friends, apart from the Iwatobi guys, but that was ages ago.

Even if they were on good terms now and were slowly coming back to the way they were, those relations were still odd. So, he had no idea if things like these were actually okay.

He recalled Nagisa, and his clingy nature and how that was all part of his bubbly personality, but that kid was far from normal. Then there was Makoto and Haru. Those two were practically married without even realizing it, so they weren't much help either. Then there was Rei, but the kid was a riddle in itself with his obsession with beauty and perfection.

It was until then that Rin noticed how his friends were all weirdoes, but then again, having shark like teeth wasn't exactly normal either.

So he kept staring. Looking at every interaction between the small boy and the fiery headed captain.

He noticed how Nitori laughed without any worry, and he didn't walk on eggshells like he did with him. He looked completely at easy, and that pulled something inside Rin's chest.

He wondered if that was what true friendship was, and not what he thought he had with Aiichirou.

The kid was clinging to his muscly arm, telling him again and again how amazing he was.

Rin noticed something else too, something he had never expected before.

He was being ignored by the grey haired boy and he didn't even knew why. All those compliments showering Mikoshiba were supposed to be for him. That was HIS kouhai, the one that was ALWAYS by HIS side. He thought everything was okay since the time he apologized for being a shitty human being and an even worst friend. Nitori had seemed to accept that, and everything kept on going as normal, so why this? And why now?

Rin recalled his day at school today, and either he had done an excellent job at avoiding Nitori (which he didn't) or the kid hadn't even bothered to look for him, and honestly he didn't know what to think.

By the end of practice, Rin was pissed. Not only Nitori was being cold to him, talking to him only if absolutely necessary, but he was still sticking to Mikoshiba like he was the best damn thing he had ever seen. The sight made him sick and he needed to get out of there quickly.

He quickly took a shower and changed, ready to get back to the dorm to finally sulk at ease.

That's when he realized that if he didn't like the current situation, he just had to change it himself. So he decided to wait for Nitori to get ready and go back to their room together.

As he waited, he started thinking about all of this. This odd situation in which he had put himself in without even realizing. Why was he doing all of this? When did he start to care so much for the kid to go as far as to "protect" him? Was he really protecting him though? He seemed far better off with someone who didn't have a nasty personality and anger problems.

And then the reason hit him, like a cold dive in the ocean in the middle of march. It had all started because of that dream. That damn dream that had stirred up something within him that he could not get rid of no matter how much he tried.

And that's about when he started drifting off and ended up at a very dangerous area of his imagination.

His eyes darted towards the room inside, listening closely at the faint sound of water running and he started thinking of him. At how the water would glide from Nitori's locks to his small but strong shoulders, following the line of his spine and…

He swallowed hard, trying to avoid any more images that could potentially put him in a very awkward situation. But it was so hard. He was so used to see the glistening little droplets of chlorine water gently caress the figure of the boy. How they would drop from his smiling face, slowly and painfully rolling to his hipbone. It was all too clear in his head because he had seen it a thousand times, but he needed to stop.

He was so focused on getting his mind out of the gutter, that he didn't even noticed the water stopping and the small steps that were getting closer and closer to him.

"Matsuoka senpai? Were you waiting for me?" a little voice asked.

Nitori beamed at the idea that his senpai made the effort to share some time with him. It was strange for Rin to reach for him; it was usually him running after the redhead to get even a little attention.

This simple gesture made him so happy he could explode.

But the voice abruptly brought Rin back to reality and made him flinch. He glanced towards the other boy and flashes of erotic images came back to his mind.

At this point Rin was sure something was starting to wake up in his pants and panicked.

And as all thing ended when he panicked, he lost control of himself and simply barked "Of course not! I- I have to go". So he did. He ran at top speed, regret eating him alive at a quick pace while leaving a heartbroken Nitori behind.

Once inside, Rin slid onto his bed, hiding his face with one if his pillows.

What had he done? He was trying to be a good friend to Nitori and now he had officially fucked everything up. He knew he had problems and anger issues, but this was ridiculous. Wanting to be close to someone shouldn't be considered a weakness, he shouldn't be as scared of it as he was.

So he decided to wait for Nitori's return, to ask for his forgiveness and make up for his horrid actions.

Time ticked and his brain tortured him with every passing second. Every ticking sound of the clock made an even deeper dent into his already fragile heart.

He was in pain, all his bad memories from Australia and his failed friendships coming back to bite him at his weakest point.

But he was resigned to wait for Nitori and beg him to forgive him if it was necessary.

He stared at the door with suffering eyes, his knees against his chest while he hugged them tightly with his arms.

He wasn't sure how much time he waited, but by the time the grey haired boy finally came inside, he was already sound asleep, dreaming of days when everything was okay.

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**A/N: **Thank you all for your kind words and taking the time to read this silly thing. I will probably update soon, since I seem to be inspired and am currently on holiday so yeah.. See you next time.

**P.S : I already have the next chapter but I'm not sure about it. What do you think? should I post it tonight too?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I unfortunately not own Free! nor any of their lovely characters.

This chapter was hard to write for some reason, and I am not entirely happy with it, but since some of you asked, here it is. Hope you enjoy it!

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Rin woke up to the annoying sound of his alarm. It was a Saturday and he didn't need to wake up just yet, so he closed his eyes once again.

Just before he could drift back onto the perfect world of dreams, he remembered. He remembered the incident of the day before, and how he still hadn't apologized to Nitori.

Apparently he had fallen asleep before he could even try, and by the sight of it, not only the other kid had come back, but the had placed a blanket over his body, covering him from the cold night.

With this, Rin's pain came back at full force making him wince.

He got up, and with a racing heart he looked at the bunk above his own. He was nervous, nervous and hopeful. Hopeful that Nitori would forgive him and give him the chance to start all over, but right now he mostly hoped the kid was still in the room.

He peered over the edge of the bed, ready to face his mistakes, only to find an empty and unmade bed.

_He's already gone huh?_ He sighed defeated. This wasn't going to be easy.

The redhead decided it was better to sleep, since he was exhausted after all. All of this things have been dragging him around and restraining him to rest at ease.

So he tried. He tried to sleep but it seemed impossible. All his thoughts were screaming at him how much of a coward he was and how once again he had ruined the one good thing in his life.

Rin had lived with that curse all of his life. Everything he touched would eventually turn sour and end up breaking him. That's why he was such a different person now to the loving, happy kid he had once been.

Every bad turn and every bad situation he put himself into had slowly but surely turned him into someone who couldn't trust anymore, someone who couldn't open up without feeling on the verge of finally breaking.

But Nitori had managed to sneak his way into his heart. He had made his way through the seams that kept Rin together, the seams he sewed every time he ended up like this, pulling himself together, but barely making it.

Fighting to put all this thoughts aside, the redhead decided it was better to get out of bed and take a shower.

Once he was finished, he glanced through the window of the room. The day seemed to mock him, the clear sky and light breeze inviting people to come outside and enjoy the marvelous weather. But he couldn't, at least not yet.

He was going to look for Nitori. The kid didn't go out that often, so it couldn't be that difficult to find him.

Sliding his shoes back on, he got out the door with his mind set to put this thing to an end today.

He roamed around the academy, from the library to the cafeteria, searching for the one person who could cease his pain.

After almost two hours of unsuccessful tracking, he was tired. He would go take a bite to eat and keep looking for him after that.

So when he turned the corner of the hallway and found himself face to face with Nitori and Mikoshiba, he was surprised.

They were snickering at something and the way they seemed to share some intimate secret made Rin's chest tighten.

The two gave him a small wave to greet him and kept on going as if they were too caught up with each other to even care. Rin just stood there, not knowing what to do. He had completely forgotten they would have one of their little encounters today.

_Should I follow them? But what if I get caught? What could I possibly say? Oh hey I was worried you were taking away every inch of Nitori's innocence and I don't like it._

_Hell no. So what? THINK RIN THINK! _

Once he had decided to keep an eye on them, they were gone. Rin could still hear footsteps on the distance, but in which direction had they gone? He started running from one place to another, looking frantically in every hall and every room in his way.

He lost them. And by the time he had lost, he was pretty sure they were getting busy by now, so he stopped. He wasn't really hungry anymore but he picked something on his way and got back to the room.

After approximately 4 hours (4 hours 18 minutes and 56 seconds, not that he was counting) Nitori finally came back.

He opened the door and came inside, looking at his feet and making sure not to make eye contact with the red headed boy that kept looking at him with great intensity. He leaned against the door, sight still cast downwards, looking at the carpet and waiting for something, anything from the older boy to get him out of this awkward situation.

After their last encounter, Nitori had finally confirmed the one thing he was scared the most. Rin was tired of him. By the way he reacted the day before, he was sure the redhead had only been nice to him all along and had allowed him to cling that much even if he disliked it.

Nitori knew that he was nothing other than his roommate, but he always thought that if he tried hard enough, Rin would open up to him and would finally allow him into this heart. But apparently that plan had failed miserably, so now here he was, not knowing what to do to make everything alright.  
So he waited, even if every muscle in his body was screaming at him to get out of there, that he wasn't needed here.

Rin had waited for Nitori and had suffered every minute of it, but now that he was finally here, in front of him, he noticed he didn't know what to say.

He just kept his eyes on him, scanning him over and over again, looking for anything that proved his twisted theories.

But he couldn't see anything on the boy's perfectly pale skin and that scared him. It scared him because if that damn Mikoshiba had marked Nitori, none of the lovemarks were actually visible, and thinking that intimate and hidden parts of Nitori's body were darkened by the other redhead's lust made him cringe.

No one should be allowed to touch Nitori, much less to leave signs of property on places that no one could even see.

Rin's mind was spinning with all kinds of thoughts. He didn't like the idea of anyone else touching Nitori. He didn't like the fact that Nitori gave his attention to someone else. He didn't like the fact that Aiichiro hadn't even tried to look for him when he ignored him. But the thing he hated the most was the fact that he didn't notice before. All these thoughts were wrong and twisted and Rin knew it very well, but he finally understood why. He knew why he felt that way. He knew he was in so much pain, he just had to admit it to himself.

_I do don't I? I… I like him. _

With his heart thumping in his ears, Rin said the first thing that came to mind to kill the awful atmosphere that was strangling them.

"Oi, don't just stand there"

"A-ah yes! I'll just go to bed now" Nitori pushed himself from the door and reached for the stairs leading to his bunk. Once he got there, everything would be fine, right? This could all be forgotten and tomorrow would be as if nothing had ever happened.

"Where were you?" Rin asked him, carefully placing his hand around the other's wrist, making him stay in place.

"I-I was with the captain today."

"Tsk. I know about you two, you know?" he glanced away, trying to cover his face from the younger's eyes but Nitori was sure he saw something different in those eyes, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret…"

"Huh?"

"It's not really a secret. I mean, everyone heard when I asked the captain to teach me his techniques."

"HUH?"

"Yeah. I was having trouble in this particular area. I mean, don't take me wrong, I'm usually really good at this, with the more _normal_ stuff. I often got praised for my work. But this is something new, something I had never tried before, so it was obvious I needed some guidance."

"Are you serious right now?"

"Well, yeah… I don't see why I would lie about it. It might be difficult to think about "_strong captain Mikoshiba_" doing something like this, but he's actually _really _good at it. He might have a lot of muscles and look kind of rough, but his hands are very delicate and they know exactly what they are doing."

"Please stop. I don-"

"He's really something. I never expected him to know so much. And he said I'm getting better at it too! So I should keep practicing until I master all of his techniques and make him proud, don't you think?"

"I-I really don't know what to say"

"Huh? What are you talking about? It's fun! You should come too someday. I know it's not your thing, but who knows, it might surprise you. I even invited Kou-chan next week! I'm sure she'll love too see all those arm muscles in action. At least all the others seem to like it…"

"What-WHAT KIND OF SICK ORGY ARE YOU INVITING MY LITTLE SISTER TO?"

"Huh?"

"I never knew you were like this! And even getting my little sister in it too? You can do whatever dirty stuff you want with the captain and his army of pervs, but my sister? My sweet baby sister?"

"W-What are you saying senpai?"

"I told you I knew about your little love affair with Mikoshiba, but this…"

"Are you.. Is this… Is this really what you think of me Rin?"

The use of his name threw Rin out of balance.

"You really think I could do such things with anyone? With someone I don't love?"

"Huh? what were you doing then?"

"Pottery"

"…What?"

"We were making POTTERY Rin! I had never used clay before! I am usually good at art, things like drawing and painting, but not this! I had never done this before and I needed a good grade to pass the class. So I found out that the captain was really good at this because his mother had a pottery store, so I asked him to help me! We were making POTTERY! I can't believe… I can't believe you think so little of me…" his voice broke.

There were tears falling down Nitori's face and Rin was paralyzed. He couldn't move even if he tried. He wanted to say something to Nitori, anything that would take that pained expression out of his face, but nothing would come out. He was mortified at himself for not trusting his friend, ashamed for the things he had said, but mostly he felt relief. He was relieved that they weren't together. He was actually ecstatic that Mikoshiba hadn't touched him. He was happy, happy that there was no one in his way now. But nothing in life goes according to plan, cause life was a bitch.

Nitori took Rin's silence as an affirmation to all he had said. Rin thought he was someone who could just sleep around without a problem, and that pained Nitori. It made him feel worse than anything he had ever experienced before, and he couldn't take it. This was too much for him, so he hastily took a bag and stuffed the first thing he could put his hands on and without another word he left, leaving a faint trail of tears on his way out.

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**A.N: **I want to thank the ones who pressured me to put this chapter up even if I'm not sure about it. It actually means a lot to me cause I'm really insecure about my writing. So yeah, thank you!

Anyway, thank you for reading and rating! It literally makes my day!

See you next time


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately neither Free! nor any of its lovely characters belong to me.

This chapter wrote itself and made me cry in the process. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The bedroom door clacked. It didn't make much noise, but the faint sound echoed in Rin's head over and over again like furious ocean waves during a storm. It all happened so quickly, only a mere seconds, but the moment when the door finally closed and shut Rin inside of their room, he felt trapped. The solitude that ate at him little by little, breaking every already tore piece of Rin's heart, was all the punishment he would ever need for making Nitori cry. He would never need for Nitori to forgive, since Rin himself never would. How could he?

The few passing seconds were such an intense torture for Rin that he could only stare at the void left by his roommate. He remembered feeling time go by slower from the moment the first salted drop rolled down Nitori's cheek. He remembered perfectly how he saw him take his things and glance at him with such a hurt look that all of his guilt anchored him down, making him fall to the ground on his knees. If he had tried, he probably would have been able to stop him, but his chest weighted so much that he thought it would be impossible for him to even move his arms, so he just stared. He stared as the only good thing in his life finally gave up on him and left him as everything else had before.

Rin could feel the traitorous burning feeling behind his eyes, but he wouldn't allow any tears on his face, not until he made sure there weren't anymore on his kouhai's cheeks, tainting his beautiful face.

So with all the strength he could muster in that moment, he stood up, walked towards the door that was trapping him and walked away.

Rin was actually thankful for being athletic, cause he caught up to Aiichiro rather quickly. He couldn't explain the feeling, but having left the room had felt somewhat liberating, as if the fresh air finally allowed him to take flight and get his prey.

When Rin finally reached Nitori, they weren't too far away from their shared bedroom. Rin assumed that his kouhai might have had trouble running since his vision was blurred by the tears that gathered around his eyes. As he thought of this, Rin felt his own eyes starting to prickle again. He wanted to say something at Nitori who was now sobbing quietly in front of him, but he couldn't do it, not here where curious stares were directed at them.

Rin still couldn't find his voice among the mess that was currently taking place inside of him, so he did the only thing he could think of. He lightly closed his fingers around Aiichiro's delicate wrist, pulling him to a stop for the second time this day.

Nitori stopped, turning to him and looking up with that hurt gaze still showing in his once bright blue eyes.

"Please… just let me explain" Rin said with a coarse voice, turning his head to the side to avoid the chance of anyone seeing him in such a vulnerable state.

Nitori quickly saw this, since he was an expert on Matsuoka Rin's expressions and meanings.

So he let himself be pulled back to the bedroom, looking at his feet as he walked. The curious wanderers that once surrounded them were now dispersing, and Nitori could only assume that all the vulnerability on Rin's face had disappeared and was now replaced by a glare that scared everyone around.

Once they set foot inside their private room, the atmosphere felt suffocating. Rin was just standing there, his back turned to Nitori.

The younger one didn't know what to do, so he took a seat on the chair by his desk, patiently waiting for whatever was going to happen next.

The tears were still falling, but the amount had decreased. His crying had reduced to only a few stray tears and some light sobbing and hiccupping.

He knew this situation was hard on both parties, so he tried his best to be strong and stop his weak attitude.

_It's probably because of things like this that he's had more than enough of me _– he thought to himself.

The thought just opened the wound even more, forcing him to remember all of these things that had turned to such a complicated and hurtful situation.

And so, without even realizing, he was crying again. He put the heels of his hand over his eyes, trying to force the salty droplets to stop surfacing, but to no avail.

"Please… please stop" it was barely a whisper, but Nitori was lucky enough to hear it.

The sound was something Nitori had never heard before. He could feel the pain laced in the small plea and it made him gasp.

The surprise made Aiichiro's tears to finally come to an end. So he looked up, turning his head towards the one who had spoken.

He could see how the older boy's head was dropped and his shoulders were tense, his arms hanging by his sides, finishing in white trembling fists.

That's when he noticed. Rin's white fists weren't the only things that were trembling. His entire body was shaking slightly, making him look small and fragile. Nitori was, for a lack of better words, shocked. He didn't understand what was happening, but he had never seen his senpai so upset.

At that moment, Nitori completely forgot he had be one hurt here and wanted to ask what was wrong, but just when he was about to ask, his words were cut by a low and raspy voice.

"I'm sorry Nitori" the voice broke at the end and Nitori felt a tug on his chest.

"I'm so sorry for everything. I know this isn't the first time I've said these words to you, but I don't know what else to say"

The redhead finally turned around, a small and sad smile gracing his lips.

Nitori was searching for something, something that explained everything that was happening and he knew that the answer was in Rin's eyes, but they were perfectly hidden under his long bangs.

He needed to see into those maroon eyes, the way Makoto did with Haruka, to understand the turmoil inside of the other without any need of words; but the redhead was slouching on purpose to avoid any eye contact.

Rin didn't want his kouhai to look at him like this, so broken and fragile, fearing he would lose all of his respect for him.

But Nitori wasn't having it, so he took a few steps, shortening the distance between them.

The sudden movement in the room startled the older one, and made him snap his head back up and watch as the small boy got closer to him.

That's when he saw it. That exact moment when Rin's head perked up, Nitori saw the lonely tear that had managed to escape down Rin's cheek.

Nitori froze in place after seeing it. He knew that Rin had had very bad experiences in his life, but he had never seen him cry. Ever.

Realizing what was happening, Nitori jumped towards Rin, crossing his slim arms around the other's waist and pulling him into a tight embrace.

That was the moment when Rin's entire being broke apart.

His knees gave up on him, and his body went numb, falling onto his small kouhai.

Rin broke down into loud sobs and small hiccups, his tears rolling down his face with no seeming end and darkening the fabric of Nitori's shirt.

The boy was currently sitting with his feet behind him, carefully hugging the trembling figure that had latched himself between his legs. He couldn't see Rin's face but it was buried deep in his chest, his strong arms against his ribs and hands fisting his t-shirt as if Rin's life depended on it.

Nitori was dumbfounded by what had just happened, but decided to keep his questions for later on. So with a small smile he started to form small circles on the redhead's back, trying his best to sooth him without crossing a line. The gentle touch only made the other one to take a stronger hold onto him, so without even realizing it, he placed his free hand on red strands of hair, softly caressing them.

"It's going to be okay" he whispered to the other, a loving and reassuring tone laced to it.

Everything inside Rin's head was a mess. Everything hurt and nothing made sense. It was as if there was noise all around him, and he couldn't escape.

That was until he felt soft hands caressing his body and a weak voice shushing his fears, bringing him to a lull. He needed to say so many things, but couldn't stop crying. He needed to give an explanation to Nitori of what had happened.

_I'm so sorry. I don't deserve you! Someone like me doesn't deserve someone as good as you. I'll only hurt you and brake you like I always do. I'm so sorry Nitori, I really am. I'm sorry. You deserve so much better than me. Trust me. _

"You should give yourself more credit you know?"

Rin flinched and looked up, slowly pulling away from his kouhai's chest. It seemed as he didn't need to say anything anymore, since everything had slipped out without him noticing.

"Huh?" he asked, sniffling and wiping his face.

"You should give yourself more credit senpai. You are not as bad as you think"

"You are too forgiving for your own good" Rin muttered quietly.

"I might be, but I know good from bad, and you Rin senpai are not bad"

Rin's only response was a hiccup and more sniffling.

"So, I think I deserve an explanation now?" he smiled.

Rin couldn't believe how things ended up like this. He was supposed to be the one to protect Nitori, but in the end he was the one crying and needing comfort. So he sat on his feet and looked at his kouhai, decided to make everything clear now.

"I'm sorry for everything. Really" he looked down at his hands fidgeting over his knees.

"I never intended to hurt you. Just, when you told me all that, I didn't know how to react."

" I thi-"

"Please… Let me finish first, or I might never say this"

Nitori looked at him, and closed his mouth, staring intently at his senpai.

"I never thought of you as someone… easy. I don't. It's just… when I thought of the possibility of you and Mikoshiba together, I went crazy, just like when Gou is being hit on by other guys. I can't help it, I just can't."

"Okay..?"

"Listen Nitori, I know I acted like a jerk, but it's only… it's only because I… - _I like you- _Because I care about you. And without realizing it, I depend so much on you. And when I thought you might be getting taken advantage of I just snapped. It all happened because I really really – _like you_- care about you ok? I know it's not an excuse and it's not acceptable, so I won't ask you to forgive me. Just do me a favor… please don't cry anymore. I can't take it."

Nitori smiled. He beamed at the realization that it was all because Rin had cared so much for him but it had somehow gotten out of control.

"So you snapped because you wanted to…protect me?"  
"Uhh yeah"  
"Because you care about me?"

Rin blushed and looked away - "Yeah"

Nitori giggled and landed on his back. "I can't believe all this happened because you're such a tsundere Rin-senpai!"

Rin frowned instantly and glared at the laughing boy beside him.

"Excuse you. I am not."

This only made Nitori laugh even harder.  
"Oh but you so are Rin-senpai!"

At this, Rin smirked and edged closer to the giggling boy.

"You are _so_ gonna regret saying that, short stuff!"

"I'm not afraid of you, _shark boy_" Nitori teased, a cheeky look glued to his face.

"We'll see about that!"

And then Rin launched himself to the small boy and hence a tickling fight commenced.

The pair rolled on the floor for a couple of minutes, laughter filling the air of the once suffocating room. The two boys got their turn at tickling one another, making more tears appear on each other's eyes, only this time they were happy tears.

After about 15 minutes of rolling and giggling, the boys laid on Rin's bed, still catching their breath and clutching at their stomach that had hurt from too much laughter.

They stayed in silence for a while, enjoying the other's company. They hadn't felt so at peace for a while now, so the feeling was very comforting.

Not very long after, Rin turned his head towards Nitori, apologizing once again. The younger made it clear that he wasn't upset anymore but it felt as if there was more to what Rin wanted to say, so he stayed quiet, patiently waiting for the other to keep going.

Rin started talking again, and this time he told Nitori everything he wanted to know. They talked about his past, his family, about Australia and so many other things.

Nitori was grateful that Rin had finally opened up to him, so he listened carefully to everything the other said, eventually squeezing his hand to show him some support. They talked for so long, that they didn't even noticed when they fell asleep next to each other.

When Rin opened his eyes, it was dark and a little chilly. He looked to his side and saw the sleeping figure of Nitori, breathing evenly and comfortably next to him.

He stared at him for a while under the blue light of the moon, before pulling a blanket over them, snuggling closer and whispering at Nitori's ear:

"I'll make it up to you, I swear"

* * *

**A.N: **This was a long chapter, and I changed it so many times. It still feels unaccomplished but I love it anyway. So hopefully you enjoyed a new side of Rin as much as I did!

Also, for anyone who might be interested, I have a tumblr! How not surprising at all right? anyway, my url will be on my profile!

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! See you next time :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** neither free nor any of their characters belong to me.

This is kind of a long chapter, so I turned it into 2 separate ones. Hope you enjoy your reading.

* * *

When Rin opened his eyes, the sunlight was barely entering their bedroom window; faded rays of light creating a very special aura around the room. Rin didn't know if it was the weather or the fact that Nitori was still cradled next to him, giving him warmth. It was most likely the second one, but Rin decided it was probably both.

Rin rolled on his side repositioning himself, looking directly at the peaceful face in front of him.

It was hard for Rin to understand how it had taken him so long to finally realize he was head over heels for the kid.

He stared at him for what seemed an eternity, until he started to feel like a creep for staring so much. So he decided he was definitely too giddy and nervous to actually stay put and rest some more. He carefully lifted himself from the bed, trying his best to not so much as move and wake up his roommate.

Once on his feet, Rin was indecisive. He didn't want to take a shower since the noise might wake up Nitori, but he didn't want to leave the dorm either. So he sat on his chair, slumping on it and playing with the long brands of hair that covered his face.

He rested his chin on one of his hands, glancing at the sleeping figure still on his bed. A barely noticeable blush creped onto his cheeks at the thought of him and Nitori having shared the same bed.

He was sure this time it wasn't a dream, since knowing him and his vivid imagination, it would probably have gone much further than that with all of Rin's hormones going crazy around his cute little kouhai.

The last words he had whispered to Nitori last night before falling asleep came back to Rin's mind. Still playing with his hair, Rin continued looking at the boy whilst thinking of a way to start his plans.

_Hmmm… How am I going to make it up to you?_

Rin looked around Nitori's desk. It was definitely too messy for him, but it really did reflect Nitori. The little post-its here and there, a few sweets scattered around and the multiple books with purple notes on them. It was kind of heartwarming really, and Rin couldn't help glancing at him once again, a fond smile covering his face.

He noticed how the furthest side of the desk was packed with several thick and old looking books. Being his curious self, Rin picked some of them up and leafed them, keeping an eye on Nitori since he wouldn't appreciate getting caught looking at other people's things.

They were all art books, with lots of pictures of old paintings and mustached guys with funny clothes. He kept looking at the books for a while, finally coming to a more modern type of art that really didn't make sense to him.

He put them back and recalled the awkward conversation they had the day before. Nitori had said he was actually good at painting and by looking at these; he obviously was very interested in it.

The fact that Rin hadn't noticed Ai's talent and his interests made him feel kind of guilty. The kid could easily talk all day long if you allowed him, and Rin was constantly showered with information, but he never really paid any attention. And now here he was, facing the fact that he barely knew a thing about the boy he liked.

How was he supposed to make up for his mistakes if he didn't actually know anything about him?

Looking back at the books, an idea came to him. It was a Sunday, and if he was lucky enough, he could start fixing things this afternoon.

He quickly grabbed his cellphone from his desk and got himself out of the room. Walking into the hallway, he leaned against the wall and dialed Gou's number.

"Onii-chan? It's 7 in the morning. On a Sunday"

"Hey, sorry. Couldn't sleep. Listen, I need a favor…"

Nitori rolled on the bed, bringing a pale hand to rub the sleep off of his eyes. He started to stretch and a small groan left his lips. He searched blindly for the rail of his bed to force himself out of the comfy blankets. He knew that if he surrendered to their warmth, he would never leave his bed. But when he looked for the thin metal bar of his bunk, he couldn't find it.

Forcing himself to finally open his eyes, Nitori looked around and felt lost. He blinked a few more times and rubbed his eyes again, as if doing this would force things to make any sense.

He was in Rin's bed, and no amount of eye rubbing would change that fact. He considered the possibility of this being a dream, but then the images of the night before flashed in his head.

He remembered talking to Rin until his eyes felt heavy, shapes getting fuzzy when everything suddenly went black. He then remembered waking up in the middle of the night, a little surprised at what he had woken up to.

In the dim light casted by the moon, a figure was softly snoring next to him. Even in the darkness off the room, Nitori was able to make the lines of Rin's face and he was entranced by it.

Rin's sleeping figure made the small butterflies in Nitori's stomach to wake up from their slumber and flutter in his stomach with their delicate wings.

Nitori was someone who was always grateful for the things he had, but he was sure he had never been more grateful for anything like he had been at that moment.

He stared at the older boy for what seemed like hours, relishing in the moment and in the intimacy of it. He enjoyed every second and absorbed every bit of it, since the chances of this ever repeating itself were kind of slim. So with a wide smile across his face, he snuggled up in the warm covers, before leaning closer to the redhead and finally falling asleep.

But now it was daytime and he was still in Rin's bed, only he was alone. All the magic of the night before slowly slipped away as he started to feel lonely and out of place in the now empty bed.

Nitori was considering between getting out of bed before Rin returned and actually staying in and relishing in the feel of Rin's bed and the smell of his shampoo.

Nevertheless, the fear of being found still lying on the bed was bigger than his own will of staying, so he lifted himself into a sitting position, giving a last hug to the dark covers.

In that moment an almost naked and wet Rin appeared from the bathroom, calmly coming into the room. He ruffled his vibrant hair with a towel, small beads of water falling around before he turned towards the bed.

Nitori had to gulp forcefully to avoid the groan that was tempting to escape his throat. It was really unfair to be shaken awake by such a tempting sight so early in the morning, but he definitely wasn't going to complain.

If Nitori thought that the smell engulfing him wasn't intoxicating enough, the picture he was staring at right now sure was and it made him feel a little light headed.

Rin just stared at him, still drying his hair as a suspicious smile crept onto his face.

"Good morning"

"Eh- Umm- G-Good morning senpai" he smiled back.

"Sleep well?" Rin asked, a playful tone very obvious in his question.

Nitori nodded furiously, looking down as he felt his cheeks burn.

"Not to be rude but you should probably get out of there now " Rin said.

He knew he had stayed more than welcomed. If only he had been able to get out of the bed before Rin had come into the room.

Nitori's energy fell notoriously, his self-awareness making itself very evident to Rin, but he was not goint to let this get into Nitori's head.

"Y-Yeah I guess I should. Sorry for troubling you senpai"

"Rin" he said seriously.

"What?"

"Call me Rin. No more senpai ok?"

"Uh…okay."

"And I don't really mind by the way"

"Huh?"

"You didn't bother me. There was no troubling at all. I was only saying that because if you don't get out of bed now, you'll be late."

"Late? But I don't have any plans today"

Rin smiled coyly, showing a row of pointy and dangerous teeth.

"Yes you do. At least you do now. So you better hurry up or I'll leave without you"

Nitori stared at him for a couple of seconds before smiling fully and scrambling to his feet, quickly passing him by and nearly tripping on his way.

He didn't need to be told twice. If Rin had made plans for them, he would get his ass out of bed without any hesitation, not even questioning the reasons behind it.

He slammed the bathroom door and striped from his clothes, ready to get into the shower. But just before jumping in, he realized he forgot something and messily put a towel around his waist before opening the door.

"Thank you Rin!" he basically screamed from the bathroom door.

It definitely took Rin by surprise, not only because of the casual use of his given name, but mostly because of the lovely and half-naked figure that stood there looking at him with sparkly eyes.

"Uhh sure. Now hurry up" He signaled him to carry on and turned around.

Nitori quickly closed the door and resumed to his activities, imagining what kind of plans Rin had thought for them.

Meanwhile in the room, Rin still had his back turned to the door, a hand clasped to his heart. He was glad to make Nitori happy, but showing himself almost naked like that was definitely messing with his head. He internally cursed Nitori and his lovely sexy self for playing with him like that.

He shook his head and looked at the clothes splayed on his bed. He was supposed to get ready quickly, but the process of getting changed was turning rather difficult.

Going against every fiber in his body, Rin accepted that the way he was acting was stupid and it made him feel like an idiot. He was set on looking his best since he was going to spend the day out with Nitori, but he was nervous and couldn't decide on anything.  
Nothing felt right, forcing him to change about 4 times before flopping heavily on his bed.

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_

He stared at the mess of clothes he had made, and pouted. He couldn't decide on what to wear, and it was starting to affect his mood.

He was still sulking on his bed when Nitori burst from the bathroom.

He was wearing a fitted blue t-shirt, matched with some khaki cargo pants rolled up to his calves. Rin had to admit he looked really cute and the thought only made him more frustrated. Nitori looked so cute without even trying, and he had spent 20 minutes trying to look at least somewhat decent.

Nitori noticed the pouting face and got closer to him.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah… I just can't decide what to wear" he admitted, pouting even more and looking to the side.

Nitori giggled and looked at him.

"Want me to choose something for you?"

Rin's face lit up. If Nitori chose something for him, it was bound to be something he liked right? Rin slapped himself internally for thinking like a young maiden in love.

"Yeah, if you don't mind" he answered, a timid smile on his face as he looked up at Nitori.

"Of course! I basically know all your wardrobe by now!"

Nitori looked around for a while, before pulling dark blue jeans, a baby blue button up and a gray cardigan.

Rin eyed the outfit and shrugged, if Nitori liked it, he would wear it.

Once they were both changed and ready to go, Nitori couldn't stop his curiosity anymore and finally asked the question that had been nagging him all along.

"Where are we going se- Rin?"

"It's a surprise" he winked.

The small boy pouted profusely whilst still trailing closely behind his senpai.

When they arrived at the station, Rin noticed Nitori eagerly tapping away on his cellphone. He was probably texting someone, so he didn't made an effort to start a conversation.

Once they were in the train, they were instantly hit by the overflow of people during rush hour. They were crushed against a door, the cramped space making Nitori a little uncomfortable. Rin knew that the boy had a problem with small spaces, and being cramped like this was probably hard on him. So with a racing heart, he reached the other's shoulder, carefully bringing him to his chest where he wouldn't be so crowded.

The light haired boy squeaked at the sudden movement, but once he realized he was being cradled into Rin's chest, he relaxed. He could smell the redhead's scent and even if he was in a small and crowded place, he felt safe and at ease.

They stood like this for a while, knowing that only a couple of stops later most people would get out of the begged to any deity listening that the wild beating of their hearts passed unnoticed by the other boy. Luckily enough, both hearts were racing, making it impossible for them to notice the one that didn't belong to themselves. They also avoided any eye contact; both worried that their eyes would give away their feelings by the look on their embarrassed faces.

They both secretly enjoyed the ride, because even if the were uncomfortable, they were allowed to cling at each other without raising any questioning looks. So they gripped each other tightly, enjoying all the body contact forced on them by their surroundings.

As the wagon emptied out, Nitori clung to Rin even more. He didn't want to let go, but he knew that he didn't have any more excuses to stay in place.

So they looked at each other's eyes, looking for a reason to stay that way, but neither of them could say anything. They separated and sat next to each other, trying to cover the blushes that were adorning their faces.

A buzzing noise informed Aiichiro he had received a new message. He quickly opened up the text, reading it and suddenly turning to a vibrant red shade.

Rin couldn't help the sting of jealousy coursing through his body as he looked at the reactions of the other as he read his messages.

The boy had kept on texting the entire ride to their destination, giggling and tapping happily at whoever was on the other side of the line. Rin was seriously trying his best not to grab the cellphone and throw it out the window before demanding some attention from the boy. His good mood had left long ago and curiosity was gnawing at him, making him impatient.

"Everything alright?" he asked, an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Uhh, yeah. Sorry. It's just a childhood friend of mine" the young boy said, locking the phone and putting it back in his pocket.

Rin made a non-committal sound and looked away. Aiichiro instantly noticed the mood change in his senpai and panicked. Had he done something wrong?

He opened his mouth to ask Rin what was wrong, when the other suddenly rose from his seat walking away.

"Where here" he deadpanned, not even bothering to look at the boy next to him as he got out of the train.

* * *

**A.N :** I'm sorry if this chapter seems rushed and just badly written. It as so much longer, that I started to feel boring. I am panicking because the whole story is starting to feel that way and I'm not sure if I should just put and ending chapter soon.

Anyway, I hope it wasn't that bad. Reviews are always welcomed, they make me feel better about my silly rants.

**Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll see you on the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Free! nor any of their lovely characters.

P.S: Shout out to Misty who really wanted to know what the date was and pushed me to actually write it.

* * *

The walk to their destination was long and quite frankly, awkward. Neither of the two boys dared to say anything, too afraid of making things even worse. The silence between them was excruciating and it contrasted loudly with their surroundings. They were now walking around a very touristic part of town and the noise, like the sea of cheery people around them made them feel small and out of place.

They might have been feeling out of place, but against all odds, they seemed to rather stand out among the crowd. Neither paid it much attention, both way too focused on the growing distance between them that was tearing them apart. Nevertheless, somewhere along their way they noticed people pointing and watching them and neither of them could shake the off feeling of it. Why were people staring at them?

Both boys could see groups of girls watching them and squealing, making loud noises that made them cringe and worry. They were just girls, they couldn't be dangerous right?

The situation seemed to change once a group of about 4 girls suddenly approached Nitori. They surrounded the light haired boy and started to ask him questions and talking to him at the same time. Rin watched closely, keeping his mouth tight and his eyes peeled, just to make sure nothing bad happened. If he was glaring more than usual, it was really just out of concern and not possessiveness. Really. Like 99% sure.

Nitori on the other hand was panicking. He understood what was happening, but he couldn't make sense of anything that was being said and felt trapped. He wanted to help the girls but they weren't listening to him.

This carried on for a while, and it wasn't until a certain someone made himself noticed while clearing his throat loudly that they all stopped and stared. Right next to the group was a menacing looking Rin, clearly glaring at the girls and kindly (not really) asking them what they wanted with the kid.

None of the girls could muster a word, both intimidated and aroused by the sight that was given to them. Well, at least Nitori was, he didn't know about the girls and quite frankly he didn't care either.

"Well, if you don't need anything else, we'll be taking our leave". And with that said, he threw an arm around Aiichiro's shoulders, bringing him closer to him as they walked away from the fans from hell.

"So annoying" Rin mumbled between gritted teeth. It was really just a comment to himself, but it still managed to get to Ai's ears.

Nitori chuckled to himself before looking at the redhead.

"If you don't like the attention you shouldn't go out looking like that you know?"

"What are you talking about?" Rin looked honestly confused.

"Those girls were just looking for an excuse to talk to you senpai"

"That's stupid. They trapped you because you're cute and girls like cute things" Rin retorted.

At this, Nitori's brow scrunched up.

"No, they wanted to talk to the attractive one. And since I was with you, they wanted my help."

"Ha, right. You should just tone down your cuteness and we should be fine"

"Are you?… Senpai, was that a _compliment_?"

"What? No. I mean, it's true but I was not… You called me attractive first!"

Rin was stumbling with his own words, scratching at the back of his neck trying his best to look nonchalant and not flustered at all. Needless to say, it wasn't working. At all.

"Well, you are attractive. You know I can't lie. But still, thank you senpai."

Nitori smiled widely and suddenly all the awkwardness from before was forgotten as they started laughing at the odd situation they had just experienced.

"Man, going out with you sure isn't easy" Rin said, a lopsided smile hanging on his face.

Nitori stopped on his tracks. He couldn't have meant that, right?

I mean, it was pretty obvious that Rin didn't see Nitori that way. But Rin's words still made Nitori's stomach flutter and his heart to race. He was only praying that the emotions weren't showing on his face, it would be too much and he wouldn't be able to handle the embarrassment.

Taking advantage of the sudden turn of events, Nitori thought it would be a good moment to ask Rin what had happened. He had noticed the sad look plastered on the redhead's face, and he didn't want to see that look on Rin face ever again. So taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth

"Is everything okay Rin-senpai?"

Rin avoided eye contact once again, and concentrated on walking them towards their destination.

"Yeah" he sighed.

"Are you sure? You don't look too well. Should we go back?"

Rin stopped. He didn't make this much of a fuss just to go back at being a douche and throwing all of his efforts away. He knew he couldn't avoid people liking Ai, it was practically a given if you met the kid. But he couldn't avoid getting jealous either, and it enraged him how shallow and selfish he was. He was doing all of this for Nitori, for the boy that had endured all of his crap, so he would man up and swallow his pride. They could still salvage the date. Even if it wasn't a date. Right? Whatever, that's not important.

"Yeah I'm sure. We're almost there anyway"

"Really? The only place I know around here is the…"

Nitori didn't finish his sentence as he spotted the gigantic building standing in front of him. It couldn't be…?

"We're going to the museum?" Nitori practically squealed as they both stopped a few steps away from the entrance of the building.

"Yeah. There's a new exhibit and thought you might be interested" a tiny smile was starting to pull at Rin's lips seeing the excitement of the younger boy.

His eyes were practically sparkling with joy and his precious smile had finally returned to his face.

"Really? Senpai thank you so much! But… but… why?"

"I remembered you said you liked art, and since I promised to make it up to you, it seemed like a good idea. Or am I wrong?"

"It's a great idea!" the kid beamed, clinging to Rin's forearm before pulling him towards the entrance.

The exhibit was a display of some of the works of Signac and other artists belonging to the neo-impressionist movement. This meant absolutely nothing to Rin, but apparently it meant something to Nitori.

The kid could barely keep his mouth closed, gaping at everything in sight, smiling widely and tugging Rin closer to him as he dragged him around the place.

Art was something very confusing for Rin, so he settled with looking at Nitori instead. The paintings were certainly pretty, but his eyes still ended up on Nitori instead.

He babbled on about the different styles and techniques of each artist, making sure to tell Rin which were his favorites. And they were a lot.

He explained how complex and beautiful everything was, but all Rin could see were small blotches of paint in pretty pastel colors.

They walked for hours in the museum, looking at everything in display since Nitori couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to.

Rin decided that he should bring Nitori to the museum more often. It brought a lovely aura to him. As if he floated through the beauty around, fitting perfectly among the colorful pieces, taking Rin's breath away with each passing second.

It seemed like a perfect place for Nitori if he really thought about it. It was a place where precious and beautiful things were kept safe. He wanted that. He wanted to be the thing protecting the precious boy and keeping all of his beauty between his arms. Rin was lost in his thoughts when Nitori finally brought him back to reality.

"Rin? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh umm yeah, yeah. I'm okay" He scratched the back of his head again, trying to distract himself just in case Nitori could read his mind and discover all the cheesy fantasies he was having.

"We've reached the end of the exhibit. We can leave now if you want"

"Sure. Let's go"

They walked to the exit, chatting about this artist and this specific painting when Rin stopped. He turned to the kid that was giving him a curious look before adding

"Go on and head out, I'll just quickly go to the bathroom."

"Ok. I'll be by the entrance" the younger replied before turning and taking his leave.

When Rin came back, he was greeted by a laughing Nitori. The gray haired boy was crouching and happily playing with a stray cat. The cat was padding at Nitori's fingers, playfully bringing them to his mouth before rolling on the ground to chase them as they moved around. And just like that, as if he was in a cartoon, Rin felt an over sized arrow dashing through his sped up heart.

Rin made sure to remember that once they were married, they should definitely get a cat, or a dog, anything that made Nitori laugh like that.

That's when Rin slapped himself in the face for the thousandth time that day. He should probably ask the kid on a real date before thinking about getting married, but his fantasies had a mind of their own and he couldn't control them anymore.

He had to admit it was ridiculous how much of a fool he was turning into because of this kid, but deep inside he was enjoying it. So he quickly stuffed the little white envelope in his pocket before running to the laughing boy that had stolen his heart and his sanity.

"Should we head back home?" asked Nitori. Rin could have sworn he heard a little disappointment in the question.

"Nah, I'm not ready to get back. What do you say of go get a bite to eat?"

Nitori's eyes lit up and quickly nodded his head. Rin saw this and warmth ran throughout his body. If this date has started like a complete disaster, they certainly had managed to save it.

"I know a place around here, if you're okay with that."

They were sitting on a swing set, crepes in hand and looking at the sun settling in the park.

"I didn't know you knew the area senpai."

"I used to come here when I was a kid, but I haven't actually been in years. It really hasn't changed. I still like it."

Aiichiro took a bite of his overly sweet crepe before pushing himself a little on the swing. He was preparing for what he wanted to say next.

"I still can't believe you took me to the museum though. I mean, don't take me wrong, but art isn't exactly your thing"

"Well I thought you might enjoy it, so I might as well give it a try. And it's not that I don't _like_ it, I just don't _get_ it. Like, I could have easily painted half of those"

Nitori laughed openly, and Rin instantly frowned at him.

"Oh. You're serious"

"Of course I am. Don't you dare mock me short stuff."

This only made Nitori laugh harder, whipping small tears from his eyes.  
"As if! Last time you tried to draw a shark and it ended up looking like an oven glove!"

"Tch" Rin bit the rest of his crepe and started swinging.

"I'll show you I can"

"I'm sure you will senpai, I'm sure you will"

"Shut up and eat your crepe already. I still don't know how your teeth haven't rotted with all the sweets you manage to eat"

Nitori simply chuckled at him and started swinging too. They kept on talking about their day and Rin's inability to draw. They laughed and teased until the sun had finally set down and decided it was about time to head home.

If their hands brushed lightly against each other on their way back, it was merely a coincidence.

When they finally got inside their cozy dorm, the moon was shining and the hallways were quiet.

They had class next morning, so unfortunately for them, their little fun day was over.

Rin threw himself on his bed, his face looking at the bunk above. He would like to tell Ai to spend the night on his bed again, but he was sure his hormones would bring down any plans of a peaceful slumber. So he pushed his thoughts to the side, trying his hardest to not think of Ai, who, for his long torture, was now taking a shower.

He took a magazine from the pile next to his bed, barely paying attention to it. His head was full with images of the day they had spent and Rin could barely contain the smile on his face.

It was a new feeling for him, this bubbly giddy feeling in his chest. It felt so right and so strange at the same time. He hadn't felt so free and happy in such a long time that he didn't know what to do with himself.

His thoughts were brutally stopped by the chiming of some SHINee song coming from Nitori's phone. Honestly, Rin was sure that if he didn't had such a big crush on Nitori, he would find the tune rather annoying, but knowing it was Nitori's only made it endearing and kind of cute.

The sound stopped and Rin returned to his magazine, but his peace was short lived.

The phone rang and rang and rang until Rin couldn't take it anymore. He got up from his bed and approached the bathroom, calling for Nitori.

"Oi Nitori!"

"Ni-to-ri"

"AIICHIRO!"

"YO SHORTY! YOUR PHONE!"

The water stopped and a small voice responded.

"Did you call?"

"YOUR PHONE IS RINGING. LIKE NON STOP. IT'S ANNOYING!"

"Sorry Senpai! Could you see who it is?"

Sure, he could do that. He was actually dying to know who was calling Ai so late at night.

"It says… Nacchan?"

A loud bang was heard from the inside of the bathroom and soon Nitori's head was peeking from the door. He quickly stole his phone and answered.

"Nacchan! Give me like 5 mi- Yes I miss you too- I – Yes. Okay"

Nitori thanked Rin with a wave before closing back the door and continuing his chat.

Rin slowly walked to Nitori's desk, leaving a small envelope on top of his journal. He looked at the content inside, staring at the little notes he had scribbled.

With a defeated look on his face, Rin tucked himself to bed, staring at the dark.

_Nacchan huh… You _gotta_ be kidding me._

* * *

**A.N:** So, this happened. Honestly guys, this was supposed to be a short drabble (max 2 chapters) and look where we are now! I don't really know where I'm going with this story, so if you have any ideas or suggestions I'm more than happy to hear them.

Also sorry for the art things, but I'm an art student and i couldn't help it. I just went to this exhibit so yeah.. ART.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews and comments are always welcomed!  
See you next time :)


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